Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. The arrest and crime counts are the ones each agency reported to the FBI, as the FBI held them on October 8, 2026. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and September 26, 2026.
St. Joseph, Minnesota, in Stearns County, has about 7,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A police report belongs to the agency whose officer wrote it, so which office holds a report from St. Joseph depends on where the incident happened. This guide names each agency, where its records page is and what the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act requires of it.
This guide covers which agency, the city's records page, the sheriff's reports, what the law requires and common questions.
Related guides: St. Joseph public records, Stearns County police reports, St. Joseph arrest records, St. Joseph warrants, St. Joseph inmate search, St. Joseph criminal records, Minnesota arrest records and Minnesota inmate search.
Which Agency Holds a Report from St. Joseph
The report of an incident is released by the agency that took it; the court and the jail hold their own records of the same event, but not the report.
Inside St. Joseph that is the agency that reports to the FBI for the city (filed by the FBI as St. Joseph Police Department); outside it, the Stearns County Sheriff's Office.
The FBI's list also places the State Patrol at St. Cloud in Stearns County; a report taken on a state highway by it comes from that agency's own records office.
The Eden Valley Police Department is listed by the FBI across two counties including Stearns County, so its arrests are not broken out for Stearns County here.
Reports from the St. Joseph Police
For St. Joseph, SearchSystems opened and checked the St. Joseph police department's page at stjosephmn.gov/114/Police-Department (page title: Police Department | St. Joseph, MN), phone 320-363-8250, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 26, 2026.
The agency that reports for St. Joseph had 14 violent and 35 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 74 arrests for 2025.
Reports from the Stearns County Sheriff's Office
The Stearns County Sheriff's Office is the county agency; it had 31 violent and 74 property crimes reported for 2025 and reported 496 arrests for 2024.
Its reports come from its records unit, reached through the office at 320-259-3760. The office's page SearchSystems verified is its custody page, at jailroster.stearnscountymn.gov/Current?page=1&sortOrder=booking_asc (page title: Stearns County, MN | Jail Roster Current Inmate Search), phone 320-259-3760, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
What the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act Requires
The Minnesota Government Data Practices Act sets the rules: an answer promptly, within a reasonable time, at a charge of copying, and staff time for requests over 100 pages, from the agency that holds the report.
A defendant who has been charged gets the report through the case: the County Attorney handles discovery for pending cases.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a police report in St. Joseph?
From the agency that took it. The St. Joseph police department's page is at stjosephmn.gov/114/Police-Department, phone 320-363-8250; the sheriff's reports come from the Stearns County Sheriff's Office.
How long does an agency in St. Joseph have to answer?
Under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, promptly, within a reasonable time. It may charge copying, and staff time for requests over 100 pages.
Who has a crash report from a state highway in St. Joseph?
The state agency whose officer took it; the FBI lists the State Patrol at St. Cloud in Stearns County.
How do I get a report from the Stearns County Sheriff's Office?
From its records unit, reached through the office at 320-259-3760. Under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act the answer is due promptly, within a reasonable time.
Is this the official St. Joseph website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.